STOCKTON, Calif. – The Pacific women's basketball program is putting the final touches on its preparation for New Mexico State, the opponent in the opening round of the 2025 Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Alex G. Spanos Center.

The Tigers (15-18) have prior history with the Aggies (17-15) as the two overlapped in the Big West Conference during the NMSU's tenure there (1991-2000). During that time, Pacific held a clear advantage playing in Stockton with a decisive 7-2 lead at the Spanos Center and within those seven wins, only one was by less than ten points.

Pacific will be relying on an opportunistic defense to pull out the win, namely forcing turnovers and blocking shots. Pacific has already forced its opponents into 651 turnovers this season and average a top-35 mark nationally in turnovers forced per game.

Leading that effort is the backcourt duo of graduate Liz Smith and senior Anaya James who have 84 and 75 steals respectively this season, the first time in program history two Tigers have stolen 75 or more balls in the same season. Should Smith reach 90 by the end of the season, she would be the fourth Tiger to ever accomplish this feat and the first since Valerie Higgins in 2019-20 to do so.

Should the opposition get past Smith and James, they will have to contend with the shot blocking prowess of junior Sydney Ward and sophomore Marina Radocaj. During the WCC tournament, Radocaj reached 30 blocks on the season to make her and Ward the first pair of teammates to block 30 or more shots in the same season since Kendall Kenyon and Gena Johnson in 2012-13.

Individually, Ward and Radocaj are just the 16th and 17th Tigers to block 30+ shots in a season. Ward has been especially proficient swatting shots with her 37 blocks this season. Her next will tie her with Valerie Higgins for the most in a single season during the head coach Bradley Davis era.

Davis meanwhile has been effective in the opening round of his two prior appearances in the WNIT – and has done it in different ways. Last season, Pacific suffocated Cal Poly defensively and held the Mustangs to 43 points on 21.5% shooting. In 2019, the Tigers upended Fresno State in a 77-72 win with a flurry of offense.

Thursday's matchup with New Mexico State will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Tigers Tickets
Tickets for upcoming events can be purchased through the PacificTigers.com tickets tab, or by calling the Box Office at 209-946-2474.  Groups of 10 or more are eligible for a group discount and exclusive fan experiences.

Stay Social
For all the latest on Pacific Women's Basketball, be sure to follow the team on X (@Pacific_Hoops), Instagram (@pacificwbb) and "like" the team's official Facebook page (Pacific Women's Basketball).

#PacificProud